diff --git a/builds/gaea/ncrc5.intel23.env b/builds/gaea/ncrc5.intel23.env
index b0213e794..b792f8126 100644
--- a/builds/gaea/ncrc5.intel23.env
+++ b/builds/gaea/ncrc5.intel23.env
@@ -1,11 +1,14 @@
 source $MODULESHOME/init/tcsh
+module unload darshan-runtime
+module unload cray-libsci
 module unload cray-netcdf cray-hdf5 fre
 module unload PrgEnv-pgi PrgEnv-intel PrgEnv-gnu PrgEnv-cray
-module load PrgEnv-intel/8.3.3
+module load PrgEnv-intel/8.5.0
 module unload intel intel-classic intel-oneapi
-module load intel-classic/2023.1.0
-module load cray-hdf5/1.12.2.3
-module load cray-netcdf/4.9.0.3
+module load cray-hdf5-parallel/1.14.3.1
+module load intel-classic/2023.2.0
+module load fre/bronx-22
+module load cray-hdf5/1.12.2.11
 module load libyaml/0.2.5
 module list
 ftn --version
diff --git a/builds/gaea/ncrc6.intel23.env b/builds/gaea/ncrc6.intel23.env
index 6d54db3fb..a7e4ff9fd 100644
--- a/builds/gaea/ncrc6.intel23.env
+++ b/builds/gaea/ncrc6.intel23.env
@@ -1,4 +1,6 @@
 source $MODULESHOME/init/tcsh
+module unload darshan-runtime
+module unload cray-libsci
 module unload cray-netcdf cray-hdf5 fre
 module unload PrgEnv-pgi PrgEnv-intel PrgEnv-gnu PrgEnv-cray
 module load PrgEnv-intel/8.5.0
diff --git a/exps/NWA12.COBALT/driver.sh b/exps/NWA12.COBALT/driver.sh
index 94811c333..981e3c4d3 100644
--- a/exps/NWA12.COBALT/driver.sh
+++ b/exps/NWA12.COBALT/driver.sh
@@ -22,12 +22,19 @@ pushd ../
 ln -fs /gpfs/f6/ira-cefi/world-shared/datasets ./
 popd
 
+#
+echo "clean RESTART folders ..."
+rm -rf /gpfs/f6/ira-cefi/proj-shared/github/tmp/NEP10/RESTART_48hrs/*
+rm -rf /gpfs/f6/ira-cefi/proj-shared/github/tmp/NEP10/RESTART_24hrs/*
+rm -rf /gpfs/f6/ira-cefi/proj-shared/github/tmp/NEP10/RESTART_24hrs_rst/*
+
 echo "run 30x30 48hrs test ..."
 ln -fs input.nml_48hr input.nml
 pushd INPUT/
 ln -fs MOM_layout_30 MOM_layout
 ln -fs MOM_layout_30 SIS_layout
 popd
+ln -fs /gpfs/f6/ira-cefi/proj-shared/github/tmp/NEP10/RESTART_48hrs ./RESTART
 srun --ntasks ${ntasks1} --cpus-per-task=1 --export=ALL ../../builds/build/gaea-ncrc6.intel23/ocean_ice/repro/MOM6SIS2 > out1 2>err1
 mv RESTART RESTART_48hrs
 mv ocean.stats RESTART_48hrs
@@ -35,6 +42,7 @@ mv ocean.stats RESTART_48hrs
 #
 echo "run 30x30 24hrs test ..."
 ln -fs input.nml_24hr input.nml
+ln -fs /gpfs/f6/ira-cefi/proj-shared/github/tmp/NEP10/RESTART_24hrs ./RESTART
 srun --ntasks ${ntasks1} --cpus-per-task=1 --export=ALL ../../builds/build/gaea-ncrc6.intel23/ocean_ice/repro/MOM6SIS2 > out2 2>err2
 mv RESTART RESTART_24hrs
 mv ocean.stats RESTART_24hrs
@@ -52,6 +60,7 @@ pushd INPUT/
 ln -fs MOM_layout_25 MOM_layout
 ln -fs MOM_layout_25 SIS_layout
 popd
+ln -fs /gpfs/f6/ira-cefi/proj-shared/github/tmp/NEP10/RESTART_24hrs_rst ./RESTART
 srun --ntasks ${ntasks2} --cpus-per-task=1 --export=ALL ../../builds/build/gaea-ncrc6.intel23/ocean_ice/repro/MOM6SIS2 > out3 2>err3
 mv RESTART RESTART_24hrs_rst
 mv ocean.stats RESTART_24hrs_rst
@@ -75,4 +84,11 @@ done
 
 #
 echo "All restart files are identical, PASS"
+
+#
+echo "clean RESTART folders now ..."
+rm -rf /gpfs/f6/ira-cefi/proj-shared/github/tmp/NEP10/RESTART_48hrs/*
+rm -rf /gpfs/f6/ira-cefi/proj-shared/github/tmp/NEP10/RESTART_24hrs/*
+rm -rf /gpfs/f6/ira-cefi/proj-shared/github/tmp/NEP10/RESTART_24hrs_rst/*
+
 echo "Test ended:  " `date`
diff --git a/xmls/NWA12/CEFI_NWA12_cobalt.xml b/xmls/NWA12/CEFI_NWA12_cobalt.xml
index 700f6ba58..a371a5027 100644
--- a/xmls/NWA12/CEFI_NWA12_cobalt.xml
+++ b/xmls/NWA12/CEFI_NWA12_cobalt.xml
@@ -102,8 +102,8 @@ frecheck -r layout -p ncrc6.intel23 -x CEFI_NWA12_cobalt.xml CEFI_NWA12_COBALT_V
   <property name="append_to_setup_csh" value="set fyear=`echo $baseDate | cut -c1-4`"/>
 
   <setup>
-    <xi:include href="../xml_include/xml_building_blocks/platforms.xml" xpointer="xpointer(//freInclude/platform[@name='ncrc5.intel22'])"/>
-    <xi:include href="../xml_include/xml_building_blocks/platforms.xml" xpointer="xpointer(//freInclude/platform[@name='gfdl.ncrc5-intel22'])"/>
+    <xi:include href="../xml_include/xml_building_blocks/platforms.xml" xpointer="xpointer(//freInclude/platform[@name='ncrc5.intel23'])"/>
+    <xi:include href="../xml_include/xml_building_blocks/platforms.xml" xpointer="xpointer(//freInclude/platform[@name='gfdl.ncrc5-intel23'])"/>
     <xi:include href="../xml_include/xml_building_blocks/platforms.xml" xpointer="xpointer(//freInclude/platform[@name='ncrc6.intel23'])"/>
     <xi:include href="../xml_include/xml_building_blocks/platforms.xml" xpointer="xpointer(//freInclude/platform[@name='gfdl.ncrc6-intel23'])"/>
   </setup>
diff --git a/xmls/NWA12/CEFI_NWA12_cobalt_fms2_yaml.xml b/xmls/NWA12/CEFI_NWA12_cobalt_fms2_yaml.xml
index 15573358c..0582f795a 100644
--- a/xmls/NWA12/CEFI_NWA12_cobalt_fms2_yaml.xml
+++ b/xmls/NWA12/CEFI_NWA12_cobalt_fms2_yaml.xml
@@ -102,8 +102,8 @@ frecheck -r layout -p ncrc6.intel23 -x CEFI_NWA12_cobalt_fms2_yaml.xml CEFI_NWA1
   <property name="append_to_setup_csh" value="set fyear=`echo $baseDate | cut -c1-4`"/>
 
   <setup>
-    <xi:include href="../xml_include/xml_building_blocks/platforms.xml" xpointer="xpointer(//freInclude/platform[@name='ncrc5.intel22'])"/>
-    <xi:include href="../xml_include/xml_building_blocks/platforms.xml" xpointer="xpointer(//freInclude/platform[@name='gfdl.ncrc5-intel22'])"/>
+    <xi:include href="../xml_include/xml_building_blocks/platforms.xml" xpointer="xpointer(//freInclude/platform[@name='ncrc5.intel23'])"/>
+    <xi:include href="../xml_include/xml_building_blocks/platforms.xml" xpointer="xpointer(//freInclude/platform[@name='gfdl.ncrc5-intel23'])"/>
     <xi:include href="../xml_include/xml_building_blocks/platforms.xml" xpointer="xpointer(//freInclude/platform[@name='ncrc6.intel23'])"/>
     <xi:include href="../xml_include/xml_building_blocks/platforms.xml" xpointer="xpointer(//freInclude/platform[@name='gfdl.ncrc6-intel23'])"/>    
   </setup>
diff --git a/xmls/xml_include/xml_building_blocks/platforms.xml b/xmls/xml_include/xml_building_blocks/platforms.xml
index fe32a201a..3d8957922 100644
--- a/xmls/xml_include/xml_building_blocks/platforms.xml
+++ b/xmls/xml_include/xml_building_blocks/platforms.xml
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 <freInclude xmlns:xi="http://www.w3.org/2003/XInclude">
-  <platform name="ncrc5.intel22">
+  <platform name="ncrc5.intel23">
     <freVersion>$(FRE_VERSION)</freVersion>
-    <compiler type="intel-classic" version="2022.0.2"/>
+    <compiler type="intel-classic" version="2023.2.0"/>
     <project>$(NCRC_GROUP)</project>
     <directory stem="$(FRE_STEM)">
       <root>/gpfs/f5/$(project)/scratch/$USER/$(stem)</root>
@@ -96,7 +96,7 @@
     ]]>
     </csh>
   </platform>
-  <platform name="gfdl.ncrc5-intel22">
+  <platform name="gfdl.ncrc5-intel23">
     <xi:include xpointer="xpointer(//freInclude/platform[@name='gfdl.default']/node())" />
   </platform>
   <platform name="gfdl.ncrc6-intel23">